Editing Edward Spence (VC)

{{Short description|Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Edward Spence
|birth_date=28 December 1830
|death_date=17 April 1858 (aged 27)
|birth_place=[[Dumfries]], [[Scotland]]
|death_place=[[Fort Ruhya]], [[Oude]]
|placeofburial=Fort Ruhya Cemetery
|image= Victoria Cross Medal without Bar.png
| image_size  = 125
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance= {{UK}}
|serviceyears=
|rank=[[Private (rank)|Private]]
|branch=[[File:Flag of the British Army.svg|23px]] [[British Army]]
|commands= 
|unit=[[42nd Regiment of Foot]]
|battles=[[Crimean War]]<br>[[Indian Mutiny]]
|awards= [[Victoria Cross]]
|laterwork=
|relations=
}}
'''Edward Spence''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (28 December 1830 &ndash; 17 April 1858) was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

==Details==
Spence was 27 years old, and a [[private (rank)|private]] in the [[42nd Regiment of Foot]] (later The [[Black Watch]] (Royal Highlanders)), [[British Army]] during the [[Indian Mutiny]] when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 15 April 1858 during the attack on [[Fort Ruhya]], [[India]], Private Spence volunteered along with Lance-Corporal [[Alexander Thompson (VC)|Alexander Thompson]], to assist [[Captain (land and air)|captain]] [[William Martin Cafe]] in bringing in the body of a [[lieutenant]] from the top of the [[glacis]]. His citation read:
{{quote|Private Edward Spence, 42nd Regiment, would have been recommended to Her Majesty for the decoration of the Victoria Cross had he survived. He and Lance-Corporal Thompson, of that Regiment, volunteered, at the attack of the Fort of Ruhya, on the 10th April, 1858, to assist Captain Cafe, commanding the 4th Punjab Rifles, in bringing in the body of Lieutenant Willoughby from the top of the Glacis. Private Spence dauntlessly placed himself in an exposed position so as to cover the party bearing away the body. He died on the 17th of the same month from the effects of the wound which he received on the occasion.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27986|page=325|date=15 January 1907}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22268|page=2106|date=27 May 1859}}</ref>}}

==The medal==
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the [[Black Watch Museum]], [[Perth, Scotland]].

==References==
{{reflist}}
*''[[Monuments to Courage]]'' (David Harvey, 1999)
*''[[The Register of the Victoria Cross]]'' (This England, 1997)
*''Scotland's Forgotten Valour'' (Graham Ross, 1995)

{{Royal Regiments of Scotland}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spence, Edward}}
[[Category:1830 births]]
[[Category:1858 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Dumfries and Galloway]]
[[Category:British recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:Black Watch soldiers]]
[[Category:Indian Rebellion of 1857 recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:People from Dumfries]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Crimean War]]
[[Category:British military personnel killed in the Indian Rebellion of 1857]]
[[Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:Scottish military personnel killed in action]]